Letter-file cabinet



(No Model.)

' JJP. ATHERTON;

l LETTER PILE GAMNET. No. 395,197. Patented Dec. 25, 1888.

Nrrnn STATES tPATENT Ottica.

JOHN F. ATHERTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LETTER-FILE CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,197, dated December 25, 1888.

Application filed September 18, 1888. Serial No. 285,674. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. ATHERTON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, .have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Letter-File Cabinets, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention apportains to make and use the same, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speeiiication, in which- Figure lis a front elevation of my improved cabinet; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section of the same, the drawer-case being partly in side elevation; Fig. 3, a horizontal section taken on line a' in Fig; l; Fig. et, a like view on line ly y in Fig. l, a bottom plan view of the drawer-ease being shown; Fig. 5, a seetiona-l view showing method of locking the cabinet, and Fig. G a perspective view of one of the drawers detached.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different ligures of the drawings.

Myinvention relates to that class of cabinets which are employed to contain. illes of documents; and it consists in certain novel features, as herein after full y set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simpler, cheaper, and more effective article of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operationv of the innnovement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the body or outer case of the cabinet, and B the inner or drawer ease. The body A is cylindrical in form, and is closed at one end by a close-fitting bottom, l), and at the top by a cover, d, which is secured thereto and overlaps the sides of the body. The inner or drawer case consists of a central standard, f, having a horizontally-arranged circular partition, g L i, secured, respectively, at the top, center, and bot` tom of said standard, said partitions being' Slightly less in diameter than the body A and dividing the case B- into an upper and lower drawer-case, 7a Z. (See Fig.2.) Radiallydisposed vertically-arran ged partitions m (see Fig. 2) are secured to the standard f and par titions g h fi, dividing' the upper and lower cases, k Z, into drawer-cases proper, p. (See Fig. 3.)

The case B is disposed within the body A, and is fitted to revolve therein by means of vertically-arran ged pins q, (see Fig. 2,) secured in each end of the standard j' and resting in centrally-arranged bearings t on the cover d and bottom b of the body.

.Drawers D, (see Fig. 6,) having a triangular-shaped top and bottom, 35, are iitted to enter the cases proper, p, and are provided with hinged rings or handles r on their fronts, by which they .may be withdrawn from the cases p.

Each drawer D is provided with a leaf, z, secured therein on wires l5, which pass through eyes 25 in the inner edge of said leaf, the opposite edge being secured to the side 4:5 of the drawer by a curved springcatch, 55.

An ordinary spring-lock, 65, (see Fig. 5,.) is secured within the body A to the bottom b thereof, a key-hole, 75, being formed in the side of said body therefor.

The lower partition, I2', of the ease B provided on its front with a downwardly-projecting curved flange, 85, (see Fig. 2,) having a centrally-arranged vertical slot or bolt-hole, 95, to receive the bolt of the lock 65.

The body A is provided above the key-hole 75 with a vertical opening, 100, of sufficient width to enable a drawer, D, of each case kl to be withdrawn therefrom through said opening.

One drawer in each case 7c l is marked Private, as shown in Fig. l, and is locked by an ordinary double-bolt lock, la, in the partition 7L, said drawers being situated vertically above the bolt-hole 95 in the partition and always exposed through the opening 100 when th-e case B is locked, as hereinafter described. The remaining drawers in each case 7a Z are lettered on their backs with the letters of the alphabet from A to Z, consecutively.

In the use of my improvement it is designed to employ the drawers in the upper case, k, to tile letters, and in the lower case IOO for filing bills and other documents in alphabetical order. Then it is desired to iile a document under a certain letter, the key is inserted in the key-hole 7 5 and the bolt of the lock 65 withdrawn from the bolt-hole 95. This permits the inner case, B, to be revolved on its pivots q until the drawer marked with the desired letter is exposed through the opening I0() in the bodyA, when it may be readily withdrawn from its case. The leaf z in the drawer is then freed from the clasp 55 and the document inserted between it and the side 45 of the drawer. It will be'seen that as the inner edge of the leaf is fitted to slide on the wii es l5 it will conform readily to the accumulation of papers therein. A series of leaves, z, may be employed in each drawer, if desired, and provided with a marginal index in the same manner as ordinary files of this character, said index being then employed to designate the second letter in the title of the document. After replacin the drawer in its case proper, p, the case B is revolved until the iange 85 engages the bolt of the lock G5, forcing' said bolt inward until the bolt-hole J5 registers with it and the bolt is forced therein, thus securely locking the case B to the body and leaving only the drawers marked Private exposed. These drawers are intended for personal use, and are secured by the lock 14, as described.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim isl. In a cabinet of the character described,

the combination of a cylindrical body provided with a vertical opening in its side, a cylindrical drawer-case litted to revolve in said body and provided with radially-disposed drawers designated by letters, and a springlock in said body for automatically locking said case, substantially as specified.

2. In a cabinet of the character described, the combination of a cylindrical body, a cylindrical drawer-case provided wi th two series of radially-disposed drawers, said case being fitted to revolve in said body, a vertical opening in said body for exposing consecutive drawers in said series as the case is revolved, a spring-lock in said body for automatically locking said case, and a lock in said ease for securing the drawers exposed .in said opening when said case is locked to the body, substantially as set forth.

3. In a cabinet of the character described, the combination ot' a cylindrical body closed at the ends and provided with a vertical opening in its side, a cylindrical drawer-case iitted to revolve in said body and provided with an upper and lower series of radiallydisposed drawers, an adjustable leaf secured in said drawers for confining the documents therein, a catch for said leaf, a spring-lock for automatically locking said case to the body, and a lock in said case for securing the exposed drawers of the series when the body and case are locked, substantially as specified.

4. In a cabinet of the character described, the combination of a cylindrical body, a cylindrical drawer-case fitted to revolve in said body and provided with an upper and lower case of radially-disposed drawers, a vertical vopening in said body for exposing consecutive drawers in the series as the case revolves, and through which they may be withdrawn, and a spring-lock in said body for securing said case thereto at a fixed point in its circumference, the drawers above said point being secured -by a lock in said case and the remaining drawers in the series being marked consecutively with the letters of the alphabet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a cabinet of the character described, the combination of the cylindrical body A, closed at each end and provided with the slot 100, and the case B, fitted to revolve in said body and divided'by the partition h into upper and lower drawer-cases, 7i Z, said cases being divided by radial partitions into drawer-cases proper, p, which are consecutively exposed through the slot 100 as said case is revolved, substantially as specified.

G. In a cabinet of the character described, the combination of the cylindrical body A, provided with the slot 100, the case B, fitted to revolve in said body and provided with the radially-disposed cases proper, p, and the drawers D, having the handles e and fitted to enter said cases p, said drawers being provided with an adjustable leaf, z, for retaining' papers therein, substantially as set forth.

7. In a cabinet of the character described, the drawer D, provided with a leaf or series of leaves, z, fitted to slide on .wires l5, in combination with the curved spring-catch 55, for det-achably fastening the outer edge of said leaf to the drawer, substantially as specified.

8. In a cabinet of the character described, the combination of the cylindrical body A, provided with the top d, bottom t), and opening IOO, the spring-lock G5, disposed in the body below said opening, the drawer-case B, fitted to revolve in said body and provided with radiallydisposed drawers D, and the curved flange S5 on said case, provided with the bolt-hole 95 for receiving the bolt of said lock and securing the case to the body, substantially as set forth.

9. In a cabinet of the character described, the combination of the cylindrical body A, closed at its ends and provided with the opening 100, the drawer-case B, centrally pivoted in said body and provided with the upper and lower drawer-cases, lo l, divided into radially-arranged cases proper, p, the drawers D, fitted to enter said cases p and provided with handles fn, and a leaf or series of leaves,

IOO

IIO

z, disposed on Wires l5 in said drawers, the 100 when said oase is looked, substantially as oat-oli 55 for said leaf, the spring-look 65, disspeeied.

posed in said body, the flange 85 on said oase, provided with the bolt-hole 95, adapted to receive the bolt of said look and secure the oase B to said body, and Jche lock 14, for securing the drawers exposed in Jdie opening JOHN F. ATHERTON.

Titnessesa O. M. SHAW, E. M. SPINNEY. 

